Role of Hemidesmosomes in Oral Carcinogenesis: A Systematic Review.

Background: Oral cancers have limited diagnostic tools to aid clinical management. Current evidence indicates that alterations in hemidesmosomes, the adhesion complexes primarily involved in epithelial attachment to the basement membrane, are correlated to cancer phenotype for multiple cancers. This systematic review aimed to assess the experimental evidence for hemidesmosomal alterations, specifically in relation to oral potentially malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinomas.